Health Information Technology

About the Career

Health information technologists specialize in managing and protecting medical records;
administering health information management systems; and coding for reimbursement,
research, and quality care. A number of high demand, high growth occupations today
require entry-level employees to have a specific skill set.

About the Program

The Health Information Technology and Management program provides a stacked, educational
pathway for careers in medical office environments. Students may earn a Medical Office
Essentials credit diploma, continue in the program with Medical Claims Coding Associate
certificate or complete an Associate of Applied Science degree.

The benefit of enrolling in this program is the multi-level, or stacked, certificates.
Students can complete the initial certification in one semester and can then seek
employment or continue with the medical claims coding associate certificate. This
certificate, which takes roughly three semesters to complete, allows students to prepare
for a career in medical billing or coding. If students wish to complete the full associate
degree, it can be done in about two years. Most importantly, these stackable certificates
are offered completely online either full- or part-time.

Medical Office Essentials Credit Diploma

The Medical Office Essentials credit diploma provides the necessary skills to perform
successfully in entry level administrative positions in the health care field. These
support skills cover managing day to day medical office operations, understanding
legal and ethical issues in health care operations. HIPAA, customer service, professionalism
and computer fundamentals customized for medical offices. Once students have completed
the Medical Office Essentials credit diploma they may take additional specialized
courses in coding and health information technology and management.

Medical Claims Coding Associate Credit Certificate

The Medical Claims Coding Associate credit certificate builds on the Medical Office
Essentials credit diploma and addresses specialized skills in medical coding and reimbursement,
including advanced techniques in medical insurance, reimbursement methodologies, basic
health information management, electronic health records and basic and advanced coding,
emphasizing CPT/HCPCS and ICD coding. The coding courses prepare students for a national
coding exam through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
or the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC). The courses for the Medical
Office Essentials credit diploma are embedded in the Medical Claims Coding Associate
credit certificate.

Associate of Applied Science

The Health Information Technology and Management Associate of Applied Science degree
combines coding in health care with health information management. Health information
technologists serve the health care industry and the public consumer by managing,
analyzing and reporting health data required for the delivery of patient care, reimbursement
and quality management. Health information technologists specialize in managing and
protecting medical records; administering health information management systems; and
coding for reimbursement, research and quality care. The A.A.S. degree program of
study contains courses from both the Medical Office Essentials credit diploma and
the Medical Claims Coding Associate credit certificate with the addition of health
information technology and leadership courses that students need to advance their
careers on the administrative side of the medical field.